Cincy Post: Needing a win, Bengals mull resting injured players

**Fire Me Boy!** · 12-27-2005, 08:59 AM

Risk-reward situation
Needing a win, Bengals mull resting injured players

By Kevin Goheen
Post staff reporter

Bryan Robinson will not play Sunday for the Bengals at Kansas City.

Other than that, head coach Marvin Lewis wasn't too interested in talking about the plans he has for the players nicked up, bruised and a little battered for the regular-season finale against the Chiefs. Lewis will have the opportunity to rest a number of players, if he chooses, given that the Bengals are guaranteed to host a first-round playoff game on Jan. 7 or 8.

At the top of that list are two Pro Bowlers, quarterback Carson Palmer and cornerback Deltha O'Neal. Palmer suffered a slight pull of the left groin late in Saturday's 37-27 loss to Buffalo, while O'Neal bruised his right knee on Buffalo's first offensive play of the game.

"We'll play to win the game," said Lewis, who added that Robinson is still one or two weeks away from returning from a sprained right foot. Robinson's foot is out of a cast and the defensive tackle is to begin rehabbing it this week, testing it to see how much pressure and weight he can put on it.

"Everybody else is eligible to play and we'll keep that option open," said Lewis.

A win against the Chiefs would assure the Bengals (11-4) the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs and a third game against AFC North division rival Pittsburgh, while a loss could possibly drop them to No. 4, depending on how New England finishes the season. The Patriots are 10-5 after beating the New York Jets, 31-21, Monday night. New England hosts Miami on Sunday and should the Patriots and Bengals both end up with 11-5 records the Patriots would be the third seed by virtue of a better record against AFC opponents.

Being the fourth seed would mean the Bengals would host Jacksonville in the first round and be in line to play at Indianapolis in the second round. The Bengals lost at Jacksonville, 23-20, on Oct. 9, their first loss of the season. The Bengals missed out on an opportunity to earn the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye with their loss on Saturday against Buffalo.

"Nothing has really changed," said Lewis. "I wish we hadn't lost the football game but we did and we're going to learn from it and we're going to get better. We're going to play either the Steelers, the Jaguars or the Chiefs again and we're going to work on getting better as a football team this week. We've got to play better than we did on (Saturday) in all three phases. It left a sour taste in my mouth and in our players and coaches' mouths and we have to get it out of there this week."

Whether Palmer plays or not is the biggest question facing the Bengals this week. Palmer injured himself scrambling out of bounds on the first play when the Bengals got possession of the ball trailing 30-27 with 53 seconds left to play against the Bills. A slight limp was noticeable as he ran back to the huddle. On second down, Palmer threw an interception that Buffalo cornerback Terrence McGee returned 46 yards for a touchdown that sealed Cincinnati's loss.

Lewis will have to decide how much of a risk it would be to play Palmer and have him possibly aggravate the injury. The Bengals won two of three games last season with backup Jon Kitna starting in place of an injured Palmer and, with nine seasons of experience, Kitna is more than capable of handling the Bengals offense and the hostile atmosphere that will await the team at Arrowhead Stadium.

Lewis could also choose to rest other starters or key players depending on their health. O'Neal returned to the game after hurting himself but he did say the bruise bothered him against the Bills. Running back Chris Perry has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle he suffered against Cleveland on Dec. 18. Perry is much improved, according to Lewis, but the head coach needs to assess the risk of putting him back into the lineup if he's not 100 percent.

Veterans such as right tackle Willie Anderson and center Rich Braham should start, but depending how the game plays out they could be given time off in favor of backups Scott Kooistra, Stacy Andrews and Eric Ghiaciuc.

While the Bengals know they will be playing after Sunday's game is over, the Chiefs don't have that luxury. They are still in the hunt for a playoff berth, although their fate may be sealed before kickoff. Kansas City needs to beat the Bengals and then hope both Pittsburgh and San Diego lose home games this weekend. San Diego plays Denver Saturday night, while Pittsburgh is at home against Detroit on Sunday afternoon.

Whoever Lewis decides to play, he wants a better performance against the Chiefs than the one the Bengals gave Saturday against Buffalo.

"I talk about effort, energy and execution, the poise and the passion it takes to win like we did for 14 weeks and this week we didn't quite execute well enough and consistently enough and we got beat," said Lewis. "We've got to play football and do it the way we've been taught and coached to do it. That's the most disappointing thing about the other day, it's just not executing and going out and doing the things, the details of our jobs, the way they've been coached to do. We've not had that happen in a while, consistently, and we had a little too much of that."

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....512270308/1022

nascher · 12-27-2005, 09:13 AM

they don't need a win.

Mecca · 12-27-2005, 09:15 AM

Cincy would probably be better off losing, I'd rather play Jacksonville than Pittsburgh.

nascher · 12-27-2005, 09:28 AM

+ it would be pretty dumb to try and beat a tough KC squad @ Arrowhead and risking injuries to key players in a almost meaningless game.

StcChief · 12-27-2005, 09:33 AM

They will rest starters and eval 2nd stringers

jspchief · 12-27-2005, 09:42 AM

The Bengals are looking pretty vulnerable right now. I'm not sure they can afford to back off the pedal. I certainly wouldn't want my team entering the post-season on a losing streak.

The Bengals remind me a lot of the '03 Chiefs. An offense that masks a weak defense. And a defense that has lived off of turnovers all year.

**Rain Man** · 12-27-2005, 09:57 AM

I haven't seen a single Cincinnati game this year, so I know little about them. I'm fine if they want to sit some starters, though.

Chiefnj · 12-27-2005, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I haven't seen a single Cincinnati game this year, so I know little about them. I'm fine if they want to sit some starters, though.

Play a tape of the 2003 Chiefs and put a little more emphasis on passing not rushing. That's the Bengals. Except they might have a little more D, just enough to win a first round game against Jax.

nascher · 12-27-2005, 10:30 AM

yes anyway Indy should make it to the SB.

Broncos get it the 3rd time in Indy !!! lol

MichaelH · 12-27-2005, 10:41 AM

If Cincy does rest their starters, there's still no guarantee of a win. Last year, San Diego rested their starters and remember what the scrubs did to the Chiefs?

**dirk digler** · 12-27-2005, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspchief

The Bengals are looking pretty vulnerable right now. I'm not sure they can afford to back off the pedal. I certainly wouldn't want my team entering the post-season on a losing streak.

The Bengals remind me a lot of the '03 Chiefs. An offense that masks a weak defense. And a defense that has lived off of turnovers all year.

Yep I agree. Though the one thing about Cinci is that you know offensively that team will be around for 5-10 yrs later unlike the 2003 Chiefs.

Palmer is in his 3rd yr, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are all just in yr 5.

WOW. This team could be scary for a long, long time.

**Rain Man** · 12-27-2005, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Yep I agree. Though the one thing about Cinci is that you know offensively that team will be around for 5-10 yrs later unlike the 2003 Chiefs.

Palmer is in his 3rd yr, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are all just in yr 5.

WOW. This team could be scary for a long, long time.

Thank goodness for excessive salary demands and salary caps.

UKMike · 12-27-2005, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Kitna is more than capable of handling the Bengals offense and the hostile atmosphere that will await the team at Arrowhead Stadium.

hmmm...

**dirk digler** · 12-27-2005, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Thank goodness for excessive salary demands and salary caps.

Not really.

Rudi Johnson signed a 5-yr contract extension in March for 5 yrs -$26 million

Chad Johnson signed a 5-yr contract extension in 2003

TJ Houshmandzadeh just signed a 4-yr extension this year

Carson Palmer is in yr 3 of his 7-year $50 million dollar contract. The last year is voidable.

Like I said this team could be scary for a long time.

**Mr. Kotter** · 12-27-2005, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Not really.

Rudi Johnson signed a 5-yr contract extension in March for 5 yrs -$26 million

Chad Johnson signed a 5-yr contract extension in 2003

TJ Houshmandzadeh just signed a 4-yr extension this year

Carson Palmer is in yr 3 of his 7-year $50 million dollar contract. The last year is voidable.

Like I said this team could be scary for a long time.

Offensively, perhaps. What about the D? Or their O-line?

They just don't scare me at all. Of course, my opinion may change in 6 or 7 days.

12-27-2005, 08:59 AM
Fire Me Boy! Cast Iron Jedi Join Date: Nov 2004 Casino cash: $9999900 VARSITY	Cincy Post: Needing a win, Bengals mull resting injured players Risk-reward situation Needing a win, Bengals mull resting injured players By Kevin Goheen Post staff reporter Bryan Robinson will not play Sunday for the Bengals at Kansas City. Other than that, head coach Marvin Lewis wasn't too interested in talking about the plans he has for the players nicked up, bruised and a little battered for the regular-season finale against the Chiefs. Lewis will have the opportunity to rest a number of players, if he chooses, given that the Bengals are guaranteed to host a first-round playoff game on Jan. 7 or 8. At the top of that list are two Pro Bowlers, quarterback Carson Palmer and cornerback Deltha O'Neal. Palmer suffered a slight pull of the left groin late in Saturday's 37-27 loss to Buffalo, while O'Neal bruised his right knee on Buffalo's first offensive play of the game. "We'll play to win the game," said Lewis, who added that Robinson is still one or two weeks away from returning from a sprained right foot. Robinson's foot is out of a cast and the defensive tackle is to begin rehabbing it this week, testing it to see how much pressure and weight he can put on it. "Everybody else is eligible to play and we'll keep that option open," said Lewis. A win against the Chiefs would assure the Bengals (11-4) the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs and a third game against AFC North division rival Pittsburgh, while a loss could possibly drop them to No. 4, depending on how New England finishes the season. The Patriots are 10-5 after beating the New York Jets, 31-21, Monday night. New England hosts Miami on Sunday and should the Patriots and Bengals both end up with 11-5 records the Patriots would be the third seed by virtue of a better record against AFC opponents. Being the fourth seed would mean the Bengals would host Jacksonville in the first round and be in line to play at Indianapolis in the second round. The Bengals lost at Jacksonville, 23-20, on Oct. 9, their first loss of the season. The Bengals missed out on an opportunity to earn the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye with their loss on Saturday against Buffalo. "Nothing has really changed," said Lewis. "I wish we hadn't lost the football game but we did and we're going to learn from it and we're going to get better. We're going to play either the Steelers, the Jaguars or the Chiefs again and we're going to work on getting better as a football team this week. We've got to play better than we did on (Saturday) in all three phases. It left a sour taste in my mouth and in our players and coaches' mouths and we have to get it out of there this week." Whether Palmer plays or not is the biggest question facing the Bengals this week. Palmer injured himself scrambling out of bounds on the first play when the Bengals got possession of the ball trailing 30-27 with 53 seconds left to play against the Bills. A slight limp was noticeable as he ran back to the huddle. On second down, Palmer threw an interception that Buffalo cornerback Terrence McGee returned 46 yards for a touchdown that sealed Cincinnati's loss. Lewis will have to decide how much of a risk it would be to play Palmer and have him possibly aggravate the injury. The Bengals won two of three games last season with backup Jon Kitna starting in place of an injured Palmer and, with nine seasons of experience, Kitna is more than capable of handling the Bengals offense and the hostile atmosphere that will await the team at Arrowhead Stadium. Lewis could also choose to rest other starters or key players depending on their health. O'Neal returned to the game after hurting himself but he did say the bruise bothered him against the Bills. Running back Chris Perry has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle he suffered against Cleveland on Dec. 18. Perry is much improved, according to Lewis, but the head coach needs to assess the risk of putting him back into the lineup if he's not 100 percent. Veterans such as right tackle Willie Anderson and center Rich Braham should start, but depending how the game plays out they could be given time off in favor of backups Scott Kooistra, Stacy Andrews and Eric Ghiaciuc. While the Bengals know they will be playing after Sunday's game is over, the Chiefs don't have that luxury. They are still in the hunt for a playoff berth, although their fate may be sealed before kickoff. Kansas City needs to beat the Bengals and then hope both Pittsburgh and San Diego lose home games this weekend. San Diego plays Denver Saturday night, while Pittsburgh is at home against Detroit on Sunday afternoon. Whoever Lewis decides to play, he wants a better performance against the Chiefs than the one the Bengals gave Saturday against Buffalo. "I talk about effort, energy and execution, the poise and the passion it takes to win like we did for 14 weeks and this week we didn't quite execute well enough and consistently enough and we got beat," said Lewis. "We've got to play football and do it the way we've been taught and coached to do it. That's the most disappointing thing about the other day, it's just not executing and going out and doing the things, the details of our jobs, the way they've been coached to do. We've not had that happen in a while, consistently, and we had a little too much of that." http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....512270308/1022
Posts: 35,253

12-27-2005, 09:13 AM	#2
nascher Veteran Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hamburg Germany Casino cash: $9994980	they don't need a win. __________________
Posts: 1,057

12-27-2005, 09:15 AM	#3
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $2617050	Cincy would probably be better off losing, I'd rather play Jacksonville than Pittsburgh.
Posts: 110,940

12-27-2005, 09:28 AM	#4
nascher Veteran Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hamburg Germany Casino cash: $9994980	+ it would be pretty dumb to try and beat a tough KC squad @ Arrowhead and risking injuries to key players in a almost meaningless game. __________________
Posts: 1,057

12-27-2005, 09:33 AM	#5
StcChief Playing for #1 Draft Pick Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Just West of Lambs land Casino cash: $10004900	They will rest starters and eval 2nd stringers __________________ sig test for this screwy schema
Posts: 25,901

12-27-2005, 09:42 AM	#6
jspchief BAMF Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Your Face Casino cash: $9998710	The Bengals are looking pretty vulnerable right now. I'm not sure they can afford to back off the pedal. I certainly wouldn't want my team entering the post-season on a losing streak. The Bengals remind me a lot of the '03 Chiefs. An offense that masks a weak defense. And a defense that has lived off of turnovers all year. __________________ Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.
Posts: 27,207

12-27-2005, 09:57 AM	#7
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3318491 VARSITY	I haven't seen a single Cincinnati game this year, so I know little about them. I'm fine if they want to sit some starters, though. __________________ I'm putting random letters here as a celebration of free speech: xigrakgrah misorojeq rkemeseit.
Posts: 141,428

12-27-2005, 10:30 AM	#9
nascher Veteran Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hamburg Germany Casino cash: $9994980	yes anyway Indy should make it to the SB. Broncos get it the 3rd time in Indy !!! lol __________________
Posts: 1,057

12-27-2005, 10:41 AM	#10
MichaelH Go Chiefs! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Gastonia, North Carolina Casino cash: $9302006	If Cincy does rest their starters, there's still no guarantee of a win. Last year, San Diego rested their starters and remember what the scrubs did to the Chiefs?
Posts: 3,187